Metallurgical-furnace-feeding mechanism



ay A. H. RICHARDS METALLURGICAL FURNACE FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Sept 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY 1927 A. H. RICHARDS IETALLURGIUAL FURNACE, FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 24. 1923 2' Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR 5mm Mud BY flat/11AM ATTORNEY Patented May 24, 1927.

/ umreu STATES PATEN OF ICE- AnELBnnT HARRY RICHARDS, or SAL LAKE CITY. UTAH, ASSIGNOR ro arrnaroan SMEIIIING. AND. REFINING COMPANY, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or 'NEW J-EnsEY.

METALLU AL- MEE N MECHANISM- Application filed September a4, 1323. Serial No. 4,377.

' This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for feeding a metallurgical furnace so that the charge will be fed into the furnace without exit of gases from within the furnace and without admission of relatively cold air.

The invention is especially adapted for use in connection with roasting furnaces and particularly relates to'the class of furnaces that receive measured charges from acon- The invent on also relates to the construc tion and operation of suitablemechanism for carrying out the invention that willbe ef-- ficientli'n operation and simple in construc tion. 4 r e The invention further relates to. various novel features of the method and improvement in the apparatus which in part will be obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and which in part will be more fully set forth in the following de-v ,air without. The gates slide in suitable scription.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l shows a s'ectionalelevation ineluding the driving gears;

Figure 2 shows a plan view partly in sec tion; t

Figure 3 present invention with the upper gate i their sealing pos o 7 Re ring t e ac omp y ns d wi the furnace 10 may sign, having an insulated side wall 11, a curved top deck 12, and a roof'13. The under surface 7 immediately "above the eombustion'chamber of the furnace and subjected to ahightemperature in any desired manner well known in the art. deck 12 is a rotatable arm 14 having a plurality of rabbles, such as 15, adapted tostir the material when the rabble arm rotated bya centrally positioned drive shaft or rotating column 16.

A framework 20 comprising suitable beams and trusses extends abovethe furnace,

and suspended from this framework is a vertical chute 21, which communicates w th .tion.

I shows a sectionalelevation of a form of feedlng mechan sm embodying the Figure 5 isa schematicview of the valves be of conventional de.

of the top deck 12 is positioned Above the upper surface of the" material may be conveyed from the bin'to the chute by a measured quantity feeder or apron feeder 25,] which, leads to the upper 'end of thechute 21 and delivers the charge thereto.

The chute is divided into one or more compartments by two or more movable gates, spaced apart a SUfi'iClGIlt distance to hold a measured charge of a any predetermined quantity between them. In the particular apparatus illustrated in the drawing the chute is divided into an'upper inletsection, a central or holding compartment and a discharge of feeding section by two gates 30, 31.

"Vhen both of the gates are shut they form a closed chamber that is sealed from the furnace gases within and the relatively cold guide frames 32 which may be formed integral with the walls of the chute and are preferably'arranged in a horizontal posi- Although two such gates are shown in the accompanying drawing a greater number may be used if desired."

In order to operate the gates alternately and intermittently star wheel p'inions 33, 34

aremount'ed on suitable gudge'ons 35, 36, re-

spectively, and are secured to or formed integral with crank disks 37,38. Each disk 31, respectively. The star wheels'in turn mesh with the lantern gears 40 and 41 driven from any. suitable source the rotating column 16. The lantern gears are providedwith 'piuson opposite segments so that while one such gear is in mesh with its 'coacting star wheel and the corresponding gate is being actuated the other star wheel Wlll be at rest and'the gate with which 11? 1S operatively connected w ll remain in its gate.

of power, such as is connected by suitable means such as the connecting rod'39 with the slide gates 30,

the star wheel and disk,

The lantern gears may revolve continuously and are preferably so mounted that the sectors containing the pins or teeth are positioned at an angle of at least 180 degrees with respect to each other, thereby to insure a moment of rest after one gate has closed and before the other gate is opened.

In operation and with the gates in the position shown in Figure 3, thecharge will be delivered to the upper or inlet portion of the chute by the feeder and rest upon the upper gate 30, which remains in its closed position while the lower gate is being opened and shut. -After the lower gate 31 has been closed. continued rotation of the shaft carrying the lantern gears causes the upper gate to be actuated to open and close while the lower gate remains at rest in its closed position as shown in Figure 4. This reciprocation of the upper gate drops the charge onto the lower gate, which will remain at rest until the upper gate is closed, as in Figure 5. Thereafter the lower gate isactuated and when it opens the charge is dropped into the furnace but no furnace gases can escape, as the chute is completely blocked by the upper gate. This cycle of interior of the furnace is prevented.

operations is regularly repeated, there being a time interval when both gates are closed for a period determined by the position of the pins but only one gate is open at a,

time. 7

Thus it will be seen that I have provided asystem of feeding particularly adapted for metallurgical furnaces in which the loss of gases and volatilized matter from the The feeding chute leading into the furnace is effectively divided into one or more compartments by reciprocating gates. The operating mechanism forthese gates is such that each can only operate when the other gate is at rest in its closed position. measured charge of concentrates is deposited from the endless belt conveyor upon the upper gate and when the gate is opened it falls upon the lower gate and remains there until the upper gate isclosed. For a period the charge is retained within the sealed chamber formed by the two closed gates. The lower gate then opens so that the charge falls by gravity on the top deck within the roaster ready to be distributed by the rotating rabble arm. After the lower gate has closed the feeding operation is repeated by the opening and closing of the upper gate. At no time does the interior of the roaster communicate with atmosphere. The operation of the gates is such that the sealed compartment alternately communicates with the interior of the roaster and with atmosphere, but not with both, whereby the efri ciency of the furnace will be increased and the unfavorable conditions accompanying the operation of roasting units at the pics The ent time which are detrimental to the health of the attendants will be alleviated.

IVhile retained in the chamber formed by the two closed gates the charge is subjected to the heat communicated to the chamber by the heat of the adjacent furnace, and the efficiency of the operation is greatly enhanced. The material of the charge is unexposed to the atmosphere during the heat treatment being protected therefrom by means of the upper gate 30, and it will be seen that after the beginning of the heat treatment the material is not again exposed to the atmosphere. It is discharged into the furnace, and it will be noted that since .1:

the rabble arm 1st and the lower gate 31 are operat-ively connected to the same source of power or column 16, there is a fixed cyclic relation between the opening of the gates and the rotation of the rabble arm.

The operative mechanism illustrated is, however, extremely simple and particularly well adapted to roasting furnaces. The lantern gears are constructed soas to be readily affixed to the same source of power .2

that operates the rabble arm and thus the cost of installation and the cost of operation is minimized.

While I have shown and described and have pointed out in the annexed claims certain novel features of my invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a furnace having a feed chute with a plurality of feed gates therein for feed ing charges to said furnace, a drive shaft having a wheel for each gate, each wheel having an operating sector and a non-ope'ating sector and a separate device for opening and closing each gate, each of said devices being operated by the operating sector of the respective wheel and not operated by the non-operating sector of said wheel.

2.-In a furnace having a feed chute with a plurality of feed gates therein for feeding charges to said furnace, a drive shaft having a wheel for each gate, each wheel having an operating sector and a non-operating sector and a separate device for opening and closing each gate, each of said devices being operated by the operating sector of the respective wheel and not operated by the nonoperating sector of said wheel. said operating sectors being at substantially 180 degrees from each other.

3. In a furnace having a feed chute with feed gates for feeding charges to said furnace, gears mounted on said shaft, each having an operating sector and a non-operating llf) on said counter shaft in operative relation with said gears, each of said star wheels having operative connection with its respective feed gate, said star wheels being of such size that an advance of one sector containing teeth causesa complete revolution of the respective star wheel.

5. In a furnace having a feed chute with spaced sliding feed gatesfor feeding charges to said furnace, gears mounted on said shaft, each. having a sector provided with teeth and a sector without teeth, said gears having their sectors containing the teeth at substaniii-ally 180 degrees with each other, a counter shaft, star wheels having teethmounted on said counter shaft in operative relation with said gears, each of said star wheels having a crank pin and connecting rod extending to its respective feed gate.

6. In a furnace spaced sliding feed gates for feeding charges to said furnace, lantern gears mounted on pins,

having a feed chute with,

said shaft, each having a sector less than 180 degrees provided with pins and a sector without pins, saidlantern gears having their sectors containing the pins at substantially 180 degrees with each other, a counter shaft, star wheels mounted on said counter shaft in operative relation with said lantern gears, each of said star wheels having a crank pin and connecting rod extending to its respective feed gate, said star wheels being of such size that an advance of one sector containing pins causes a complete revolution of the respective star wheel.

7. In a furnace having a feed chute with spaced sliding feed gates for feeding charges to said furnace and a rabble arm for distributing said charges, a vertical rotating column on whichsaid rabble arm is mounted, lantern gears mounted on said column,

each having a sector less than 180 degrees provided with pins and a sector without said lantern gears having their sectors containing the pins at substantially 180 degrees with each other, a counter shaft, star wheels mounted on said counter shaft in operative relation with said lantern gears, each of said star wheels having a cranlrpin and connecting rod extending to its respective feed gate, said star wheels beingof such size that an advance of one sector containing pins causes a complete revolution of the respective star wheel.

Signed at Garfield in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah Sept. 18th, A, D. F

ADELBERT HARRY RICHARDS. 

